In your box:

• Basil
• Beans
• Bok choy or tat soi
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cucumber or squash
• Garlic, “Georgian Crystal”
• Head Lettuce
• Red onion
• Sweet Pepper
• Tomatoes

Farm News

We are now in the home stretch of the farm season, with just five more weeks of delivery expected after this week’s box. The fall brings many of my favorite crops and flavors of the fall, and it looks like we should have an abundant harvest coming in for the rest of the season. We hope you enjoy!

As school resumes and many people’s schedules change, please be in touch if you need any changes to your weekly delivery. We can change delivery sites at any point in the season, even to the other delivery day. Just email me if you would like any changes.

We hope to see you at the farm for our annual Fall Harvest Party on Saturday, September 24th. We’ll gather around 3pm for farm tours and yard games, and then celebrate with a potluck dinner starting at 5. Please bring a dish to pass, table settings, and a chair. No need to RSVP, but be sure to check your email in the event of poor weather.

This week’s box

As the nights get cooler and the days shorten, we’re about to see some changes to our regular veggies each week. We might squeeze another week out of our cucumbers, squash, and beans, but these plants are looking pretty haggard after such a long, productive season. Tomatoes and peppers can keep producing until the first frost, but the harvest is certainly slowing on these crops, too. We do welcome back some cool season crops, starting with the return of Bok Choy this week. Our crop is maturing unevenly, so some of you will receive Tat Soi instead. Both crops work great in a stir fry.

Creamy Tomato Soup with Basil and Roasted Garlic

• 3 lbs ripe tomatoes
• 1 1/2 bulbs garlic
• 3 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion , chopped
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 oz) can low-sodium broth
• 1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 – 2 tsp granulated sugar , to taste
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil , plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 oz Asiago cheese , finely shredded
• fresh croutons , crusty bread or crackers, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile cut top from garlic heads (just enough to expose the cloves), leave skin on and place on a baking dish (I just used an oven safe glass bowl) and drizzle 1 1/2 tsp of olive oil over garlic.
2. Cover dish with foil and bake garlic in preheated oven until soft and lightly browned, about 35 – 40 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. Once water reaches a boil, carefully place tomatoes in boiling water and allow to boil just until their skins burst, about 3 minutes.
4. Meanwhile fill a large mixing bowl with ice water. Once tomatoes have burst, immediately transfer to ice bath and allow to cool about 30 seconds (or until cold enough for you to handle). Peel and dice tomatoes.
5. Heat remaining 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large enameled pot over medium- high heat. Once oil is hot, add diced onion and saute until soft, about 6 minutes. Add in diced tomatoes and their juices, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, salt, pepper, sugar, red pepper flakes and basil. 
6. Peel and mince roasted garlic then add to soup. Bring mixture just to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer uncovered for 45 min – 1 hour. 
7. Puree soup with an immersion blender if desired (if you like it slightly chunky no pureeing is necessary) or process in batches in a blender, filling blender only halfway each time and removing cap in lid and covering with a dish towel (to allow heat to escape and prevent the blender from bursting).
8. Stir in heavy cream. Serve warm with fresh croutons, shredded Asiago cheese and sprinkle top with fresh basil.

Coming up

Next week, we are expecting lettuce, red onions, potatoes or beans, celery, cucumbers, bok choy, pepper, radishes and tomatoes